Hear Ronnie Romero, Steve Morse and Jonathan Cain perform Rainbow's "Temple of the King"

With the long-awaited tribute to Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow album "Ride The Rainbow - The Ultimate Tribute To Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow" approaching on June 19, another tasty morsel from the upcoming feast has materialized with this sound-laden reimagining of the classic from the first album "The Temple Of The King".

Given the full lineup of Ronnie Romero (vocals - Rainbow), Steve Morse (guitar - Deep Purple), Jonathan Cain (keyboards - The Babys, Journey), Simon Wright (drums - Dio, Queensrÿche), Phil Soussan (bass - Wildlife) and Kevin James Morse (guitar), it's immediately clear that this is not a direct cover version.

Many fans would agree that Rainbow's debut album was also their most inventive, as Blackmore struggled to free himself from the shackles of his last band, armed with a lineup that also had no intention of being labeled Purple Part 2. In fact, this particular track was so strong that it even titled a recent box set of Rainbow's own materials.

Now Romero and company take it even higher than - and perhaps even further than - that devastating prototype, reminding us that while critical shorthand insists on calling Rainbow a metal band, the music itself was - and remains - an adventure beyond any contemporary musical standards.

"Being part of Rainbow's legacy and having the opportunity to play this song with Ritchie himself on stage, to record it, means a lot to me," says Romero. "I will never be grateful enough for the chance to be part of this legendary band, so here's a humble way to pay tribute to one of my favorite songs and my favorite band of all time. I hope people will like it the same way I loved it while recording it."

Steve Morse continues: "I remember playing an outdoor festival with Rainbow featuring my previous band, The Dregs. I stayed and watched Rainbow and thought that every single song sounded really good! Ritchie always worked with very good musicians, but his vision for heavy yet melodic rock really impressed me. I think hearing them sound so good live really helped me raise the bar high for live performances."

Jonathan Cain also has fond memories of the band and the man who first sang "Temple Of The King". "When Cleopatra asked me to play on a Rainbow tribute project, I was excited to add my keyboards as well. Rainbow with Ronnie James Dio were one of the really melodic and memorable metal bands. I had the opportunity to party with him towards the end of his tour after a rock festival in Sweden. His soaring voice and melodies will be remembered for decades to come."

Source: antiMUSIC